


Half the Battle

by sh_wright890



Series: Love and Loss [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Demisexuality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Drama, Friends to Lovers (minor characters), Kidnapping, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Torture, Transgender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 01:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6591634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sh_wright890/pseuds/sh_wright890
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean has just come back with his family from the trip that has brought them all closer in some aspects. He knows it probably won't last, but he's certainly willing to try if they are. </p><p>While he was there, he met Marco, a cute, freckled teen his age. Now, Marco and his family are moving back to their hometown--where Jean lives--and the boys' summer romance begins budding into something more. </p><p>Life seems perfect, but the same danger from the lodge is far from gone. In fact, it followed them home. Can they overcome this, or is this only the beginning of something worse?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Timing Is Off

**Jean**

I flopped backward on my bed and smiled up at the ceiling. Talking to Marco always put me in a better mood even if I wasn’t pissed before. It was like you absolutely  _ had _ to be happy when you were talking to that freckled baby.

It’s been about two weeks since we got back from our vacation in Minnesota. Since then, the Rals moved into their house two blocks down the street and Bertholdt started his job as a construction worker. Our families have also been together all the time. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa are practically inseparable. Mom and Dad have been with Bertholdt and Petra all the time, and, well, Marco and I have been attached at the hip too. What could I say? He was fun  _ and _ a good kisser. Win-win in my opinion.

School was due to start in about two weeks. School was okay if you ignored all the absolute fuckery. I mean, half the student body were totally stupid--he cheated on you three times, honey; just  _ dump _ him and cut the shit--people walked too slow in the hallways, and some teachers made it their personal mission to drown all the students in homework.

But I mean, y’know, other than that, school was fine.

I was actually kind of nervous about it, though. I’d never had a girlfriend, let alone a boyfriend. Not to mention that most of the kids were from farming families, and farming families are usually conservative. 

Mostly, I was nervous because I didn’t know  _ how _ to be a boyfriend. Was I supposed to hold meet him after his classes and take him to his next class? Did I have to hold his hand in the hallways and kiss him at his locker? Was he going to come out to the school? Was  _ I _ going to come out to the whole school? Would I be able to? 

All these questions and more swirled in my mind, but like the professional procrastinator I was, I put them off. I could address when the time came.

I sat up and grabbed my phone when I heard it buzz on my nightstand. It was a text from none other than Marco. It was filled with a ton of happy emojis. I rolled my eyes affectionately. He could be such a loser. I sent him back a simple heart and hoped it was my imagination that I was blushing. I pocketed my phone before I could do anything else stupid and went downstairs. 

The first person I came across when I went downstairs was my mom. She was sprawled out on the couch, sleeping. Her mouth was open, and I swear I saw drool. I walked up to her and took her glasses off her, folding the arms in before putting them on the coffee table. Lately, work has been calling her in a lot, and it wore her out. She always said that it was because she was getting old, but she still looked really young.

Dad was in the kitchen making dinner, and Connie sat on the floor with our dog, Erwin. He kept trying to steal some of the brownie batter, and Dad kept swatting his hand away. Connie pouted and mussed up Erwin’s fur. The poor dog looked so done.

I went around all three of them and grabbed a spoon. Despite Dad’s death glare, I scooped a spoonful of batter and ate it.

“Get out of my kitchen.” He glared again. “Do you know how unsanitary that is?”

“Only if you double dip.” I got another glob. “Like that.”

Connie whined. “Why does Jean get some and I don’t?”

Dad looked down at him. “You stole my bowl and ate it all. This is my second box of brownie batter today, you little shit.”

Connie rubbed his belly. “Nuh uhhhh.”

Dad pulled a wash rag out of a drawer and wet it. “Yeah huh. You still have it all over your God damned face.” He wiped a smear off Connie’s cheek.

I used his distraction as an opportunity to get another spoonful. Dad whipped around and glared fiercely. “You take one more, and you’re gonna wish your mother was awake.”

I laughed and put the spoon in the dishwasher. “What are you gonna do? Clean me to death?”

“I’ll make you clean all the toilets in the house, and I know for a fact that  _ some _ body took a giant shit in the one upstairs this morning.”

I made a face. “Ew.” 

He went back to finishing whatever he was making and pushed the batter to the wall, so Connie couldn’t reach. Connie gave up and went to his room with Erwin trailing behind. Those two were like Shaggy and Scooby, I swear. Except, Connie still looked like Aang from Avatar. So maybe they were more like Aang and Appa.

“Rals are coming over for dinner tonight,” Dad said.

“Again?” I replied, fishing a bottle of water out of the fridge.

“Thought you liked having them over.” He tested a noodle from a boiling pot. 

“I do, trust me. When are they coming over?”

Seeming to have deemed the noodles done, he started slowly dumping them in the strainer in the sink. A huge cloud of steam billowed up. He squinted at the clock. “Ten minutes.”

I blinked at him and looked down at myself. I was in the tee shirt and jogging pants I went to bed in the night before. My hair was probably a fucking mess, and I hadn’t had a shower since sometime the day before. Gross, I know, but I was gonna take one after dinner. “Are you serious?”

“Why would I lie?” He looked me up and down. “You might want to at least put some presentable clothes on.”

The next eight minutes of my life were a total blur. I took the fastest shower ever, brushed my teeth, and got dressed in another clean tee shirt and nicer looking jogging pants. I didn’t bother with putting on any cologne or fixing up my hair since not only did I not have the time, but he already knew what I was like au naturale. 

I ran down the stairs two at a time and skidded to a stop at the bottom before I hit the wall. Mom sat up when she heard me thundering down the stairs. “Jean, what are you in such a hurry for?”

I was sad to say that I was almost out of breath. “Dad told me everybody was going to be here in ten minutes.”

She checked the time on her phone and tilted her head. “When did he tell you this?”

“At six ten.”

“Levi!” she called out.

Dad came in, drying his hands off. “Yeah?”

She hid a smile. “Are you still having trouble seeing?”

He looked suspicious. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”

She got up and stood next to him. “What time does this say?” She held up her lit up phone. 

He squinted again. “Six thirty.”

She laughed and shook her head. “No, hon. It says six twenty.”

“Oh.”

“Wait, wait, wait. So I really had twenty minutes, not ten?”

“Yep,” Mom said.

I stared blankly at them for a few more seconds before I collapsed on the couch. Mom started laughing. I rubbed my face and groaned. “Oh my God.”

They both laughed. “Sorry,” he said. He didn't sound very sorry. “It was funny listening to you run around.” Mom nodded in agreement. He laughed again. “We could hear you saying ‘fuck’ every twenty seconds.”

I groaned again. 

Mom patted Dad’s shoulder. “I’ll get you an eye appointment set up.” He nodded and went back into the kitchen, chuckling. I felt my feet being lifted, and I lowered my hands. Mom sat on the couch and put my feet in her lap. “I think that was a record for you, Jeanboy.”

I grumbled. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“Normally, your showers are like twenty minutes.” She grinned. “What do you do in there?”

I squinted. “I shower.” 

She grinned more. “ _ Just _ shower?”

Was… Was she implying that my showers were long because I jerked off all the time? I felt my face warm up, and I knew my cheeks were scarlet. Okay, yeah, I did  _ sometimes _ , but not every single day! I-it wasn’t like you could  _ plan _ shit like that.

Luckily, there was a knock on the door before I could answer. I scrambled off the couch and ran to the door to the sound of Mom laughing at me. I unlocked the door and threw it open.

The first person I saw was Marco in all his freckled glory.


	2. High School Sounded Like A Trainwreck

**Marco**

I fidgeted nervously on the porch. I guess I should get used to coming over here since I spent most of my time with the Ackermans. And it wasn’t like I was alone. Bertot was right behind me along with Mom and Armin too. 

I could hear somebody running to the door, and sure enough, Jean’s face appeared after he practically threw the door open. My face morphed into a smile to match his. His face and ears were red, I noticed. “Hi,” I said.

He backed up and held the door open to let us all through. It smelled amazing inside, but it always did. Levi was an amazing cook. Even if he did scare me most of the time. 

We hovered by the door. He shut it behind us and leaned back against us, grinning at me like he knew the secrets to the universe. “You don’t bother dressing up to come over anymore, do ya?” He looked me up and down. I was in jeans and a loose tee shirt.

I scoffed and laughed. “Look at  _ you _ . You look like a homeless person.”

He put his hand over his heart and pretended to look shocked. “You wound me, Prince.”

I blushed and rolled my eyes. “Sure, I do.”

He grinned and took me to the living room and flopped down on the couch. I sat down on the floor next to him. He wasted no time in burying a hand in my hair, tousling it and tugging on the strands. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the couch. I liked having my hair played with. Not as much as Jean did, but still. It was getting long enough that Armin would put little braids in it when he got bored.

“I missed you,” he murmured, swirling his fingers around.

I turned to face him and rested an elbow on the couch. “We just talked a half an hour ago.”

His eyes flicked across my face as if he were memorizing my freckles for the billionth time. “Yeah, I know, but I haven’t actually  _ seen _ you for a few days.” His fingers trailed lightly down my side of my face to cup my jaw. 

I closed my eyes and nuzzled his palm. “What a shame,” I murmured before I felt his lips touch mine for a moment. They were warm and kind of chapped, but I didn’t mind.

When he pulled back, he was smiling despite Levi’s comment that could be heard about “damn teenagers that hump like rabbits.” If anything, that made him smile more. I felt myself blush. We were  _ far _ from humping--a single kiss didn’t involve any genitals, thank you very much.

I could hear Bertot laughing from the kitchen. “Let them be, Levi. They’re young. If I remember correctly, you and Hanji got in some serious trouble for getting it on in the bathroom.”

There was a pause. “You giant ass tree. I thought I told you to never talk about that again, shithead.”

Bertot laughed good-naturedly, and Jean started laughing too. “Dad, you never told me about that!”

Levi appeared in the doorway. “Oh, yes, Jean. Let me just casually bring up the time I fucked your mom in the third bathroom stall in the girl’s bathroom at your high school.”

“Excuse me, what?” Hanji demanded from the stairs. 

“Dammit,” he muttered.

“Levi! Why’d you tell him that?”

He pointed to the kitchen. “It was the giant freak’s fault. He brought it up.” He crossed his arms. It kind of reminded me of a little kid pouting. Bertot was laughing even harder now.

“Bertholdt!” She went down the stairs the rest of the way and into the kitchen. “Don’t let my kids know stuff like that!”

“Not even about that time in the park when you--” he began.

“ _ Especially _ not about that time in the park.”

I giggled quietly. Jean swirled another hand in my hair. “I fully plan on finding out what happened in the park,” he told me. 

“You’ll have to tell me what happened.”

Levi glared. “ _ Nobody _ is talking about what happened in the park.” With that, he went in the kitchen. It wasn’t my imagination that he was blushing. Dinner was certainly going to be interesting.


	3. Watch Your Back

Chapter 3

**Jean**

Dinner was exciting, per usual. Connie ended up dumping spaghetti all over himself, so Mom had to take him upstairs for an emergency bath. Dad was frantically cleaning the carpet with the help of Bertholdt--or B, as he’s told me to call him--and Petra.

Mikasa told a corny joke, and Eren laughed like a maniac when Armin accidentally got milk snorted up his nose. Luckily, Dad wasn’t in the room for that one, seeing as how Armin ended up spewing it across the table too. Us kids all cleaned it up before he came back in.

Throughout the whole thing, I sat next to Marco with my hand on his knee, moving it up a little more every few minutes just to watch the blush set in again, deeper than before. I’m pretty sure Mom knew what I was doing, but she didn’t say anything about it.

It was probably seven thirty before I was finally able to sneak Marco away to my room. I pulled him inside and shut the door behind him with my foot before I not-so-gracefully tripped on some clothes I left on the floor and fell back onto my bed. My face flushed when I realized the super unmanly squeak I heard had actually come from me.

Marco laughed and leaned back against the door with his arms crossed. “Are you okay?” His voice was filled with amusement at my absolute embarrassment.

I propped myself up on my elbows. “Great, thanks,” I grumbled, to which he laughed again, and I felt something like a puppy in my chest--warm, fuzzy, and eager to get my attention.

“Are you sure? You don’t look great.”

I gestured down my body with a hand. “I don’t? I thought you liked scrawny and pale.”

He shook his head and laughed. “No, I was kidding when I said that. I prefer snarky, short, and with attitude.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You want to fuck my brother?”

The snort he made was ungodly. “No! I don’t want to… have sex with anybody.” His cheek were a pretty pink beneath his freckles.

I snapped my fingers. “Damn. There went my plan.”

He sat on the bed. “What plan?”

“Kiss, marry, kill, and end up rich.”

“Jean, that would only work if I had money. I’m a highschooler. I can’t even pay you in grades. Besides, that doesn’t even sound catchy. Kiss, marry, kill? Come on. I expected more from you.”

He laid down on my pillow. I used the opportunity to move up and lay my head on his stomach. His fingers came up to immediately run through my hair. “Fine. Bed, wed, behead. Is that better?”

“Sure, but you’re still forgetting that I’m not rich.”

I shucked his shirt up, so my head was resting on his bare belly. “I dunno, man.” I trailed my fingers over his skin. “I’d say you’re made of money. Heart of gold, diamond hard abs, honey-colored skin tone…”

“One of these things is not like the others,” he replied dryly, but his lips tipped up on the sides.

“No, it fits. In Ancient Egypt, honey was used as medicine, sacrificed to the gods, food, and some forms of commerce.”

He nodded slowly. “Oh.”

“Yeah, so you can suck my ass.”

His ears turned red. “Will do.”

I snorted and smacked his chest. “You said you didn’t want to have sex with me. Now you do?”

“Are we back on that? I never said I wouldn’t have sex with you.” I raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Well, I ain’t calling you a truther!” I promptly burst into a fit of snorts and laughter. I honestly cracked myself up.

“You’re such a loser.”

I nuzzled his belly. “I know.” Turning my head, I left a few little kisses on his warm skin, causing him to hum. “I’m your loser.”

“My loser, hm?”

“Yep.”

One of the main reasons why I liked being with Marco was because even though he knew I was a total jerk and a loser, he didn’t mind. I could be ranting about something, and he’d listen patiently before offering advice and kisses.

It didn’t take him long to realize that I was literally the biggest baby in the world. I got upset over literally anything, but I always kept it to myself so as not to make people think I was a wimp. Mostly I kept my feelings hidden from my siblings since they were merciless in their teasing. Overtly so.

“Good. I’m glad you’re my loser. I’m a lucky person.”

I looked up at him to see his warm smile. “Um. Thanks. You probably aren’t that lucky, but alright.”

He shook his head and propped it on one of his arms while burying his other fingers in my hair. “Nah, I’d say I’m the luckiest. Scrawny and pale is kinda my thing.”

“I thought short people with attitudes were your thing.”

“I changed my mind.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, whatever.”

He tapped under my chin to force me to look up. “What was that, Mister? Did I just hear sass?”

I grinned. “Maybe. If you cleaned out your ears, you’d know.”

“Ouch, Jean. You wound me. I am the very definition of hurt.”

“Right. Sure.” I rested my head on his chest. “Whatever you say, Freckles.”

He started rubbing my back, and I let out a somewhat pitiful and content sigh. He knew just how to make me into putty.


End file.
